As a child of the 80’s, I have recently found myself saying “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” far more than I think I should.Whether it’s cars (mid-90’s was the pinnacle), cartoons (Transformers beats Power Rangers hands down) or even football (you couldn’t accuse the players of yesteryear of being overpaid divers), evolution isn’t always positive.However, I recently experienced fine dining 1970’s style at the Park Terrace Restaurant and it has definitely made me thankful for the progress made in the restaurant industry.

The restaurant is housed on the ground floor of the Royal Garden Hotel and provides superb views over Kensington Garden during the day. Unfortunately, due to a lack of visibility in the evenings, diners are more likely to be subjected to the 1970’s style décor of the restaurant.So onto dinner.Starters of Pork belly, guinea fowl & foie gras terrine and Lobster ravioli with ginger foam were both excellent and gave great promise to the meal ahead.Then something strange happened and Dr.Dodgy and I were transported back in time.Both mains of Pan roasted halibut and Belly pork were overcooked and came with rich, heavy and overbearing sauces in little pots for us to pour ourselves; avantgarde in the 70’s, a bit naff now.Our desserts fared little better. The Chocolate fondant came with a strange spicy banana ice-cream whilst the bland Crème Brûlee was more like a caramel mousse in a brandy snap.

It’s not all negative though. I can imagine the restaurant being a decent venue for Sunday lunch and apparently they do a very good afternoon tea.Also, the hotel is in the middle of an extensive refurb, so hopefully the Park Terrace will be given a bit of a makeover.However, if you are going to insist on dining at this hotel, visit Min Jiang, the outstanding Chinese restaurant which opened recently on the top floor.